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Updated: Feb 26, 2026

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
Published on: March 24, 2018
Halogen effects on the solid-state packing of phenylalanine derivatives and the resultant gelation properties
Susana M Ramalhete1, Jamie S Foster, Hayley R Green
1School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK. Y.Khimyak@uea.ac.uk.
Abstract:
Phenylalanine is an important amino acid both biologically, essential to human health, and industrially, as a building block of artificial sweeteners. Our interest in this particular amino acid and its derivatives lies with its ability to form gels in a number of solvents. We present here the studies of the influence of halogen addition to the aromatic ring on the gelation properties and we analyse the crystal structures of a number of these materials to elucidate the trends in their behaviour based on the halogen addition to the aromatic group and the interactions that result.
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